The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1887-12-17
RIFLES OF THE FUTURE.
EUROPEAN COUNTRIES ALL ENGAGED
IN REDUCING THE CALDER.

The Advantages of n Smaller Sized BuI-
Iet-Germany's Mauser and the French
Lebel-Austria's New Repeater-Other
Wen Known systems.
Two features in infantry rifles are now
absorbing attention In all parts Of the
world. the caliber and the repeating
apparatus. France. Germany, Austria,
England. Holland and Italy are all en-
gagged in reducing the caliber and here in
our own country Gen. Benet says, in a re
cent report. that 1.-The question OF a re
duced cal.bcr for smaA arms is now under
consideration by the department "A
statement which speaks volumes. With
smaller caiiber are joined a steel cased
bullet and compressed powder, or
else far more powerful powder, which
gives greater range and penetration,
while many additional cartridges Of tho
the smaller size can obviously be carried
by the soldier This last advantage is the
more important since the tendency 10
fire too rapidly is increased by The repeat
ing arms
Germany, in order to supply her army
with MAGAZINE guns ahead Of France,
kept her factories at l.rlurth, Spandau
and Dantzic working day and night; aud
now that she has completed the armingOf
her troops al large cost. she il ~ begin All
over again with a new small bore rifle,
because the French have e small bore.
The present German repeating arm, which
may do for the reserve ana militia. is the
T.4frI IIsIfl
with magdziue OF eight cartridges,
pushed Boy a spring into the barrel Col
Arbuthnot superintendent OF The Enfield
factory. considers % the worst repeater he
has seen IL i- certainly both heavy and
III balanced although II has the adNm-
taae that simple movement turns IL
to u single loader and 10 requires no ne"
manual Of drill Bat 10 is doomed before
it has been really used bcc1use "a better
gun is found in France. The callDcr OF
the new German nile is to be eight mihi
meters which is only 80 iuch while
that Of tAc MauseI is eleven mllimeters.
or AZ. incl.
TIL IfrIL RuIr.
The Tebel rhc adopted by France is
of only 80. mch CALDER, and carries
|
barrel H. sharp pointed steel bullet,
about the size Of pea. driven at Won
deriul velocity Dy new smOkelcss pow
der, has great range aud accuracy. The
soldier can carry nearly twice as many 81
It's small cartridges as Of the old style
The trajectory is almost llat tor ranges
customary, with a consequent gain Do
precision the lecol is scarcely percepu
Bile aud even the noise Of the report IS
trihng Inc French Pralon rifle Is an
other remarkable small bore, Of 80
calber
italy has a small caliber rife under con
sidcrdti0n in the invention Of Capt freddL
IL is of 32j inch bore. ami elects the empty
cartridge, opens the chamber and cocks
the piece The Peri is Of about the same
bore. bat oil a greater muzzle velocity
this gun and the Lebel and the HELLER
being the most remarkable Of the recent
inventions in that respect The HELLER
is very light aud is Of Ouly go inch
culibcr.
The Schulh0f repeater the invention OF
al Austrian has heea Tried with much
thooughur-s la England 10 takes ten
cartridges. Introduced from cardboard
box. and can also be used as a single
loader IL would cost less than the Eng
lish Martini Henry But England, out OF
the large number OF magazine guns open
70 her. is trying By preference the Jan
proved Lee and the Lee Burton The
Lee. SO fayOrably known ia the United
states. has q detachable magazine, and
his is preferred by some experts but the
British apparently decide in favor ci hay
in the hopper nxed. lest tie movable one
s, Odd be dropped iu the heat OF action.
They follow the movement for small
cahD-rs by fixing Ola 81 bore. whatever
The selection of the magazine rifle system.
The luse charge Of compressed powder
AMI LONG bullet Will secure high velocity,
Hat trajectory aud accuracy OF shooting.
Great Britain has had an experience some-
thing like Germany since she had just
introduced the new Enfield Martini ~
caliber as an Improvement on her Martini
Henry, which has a a bore, like our
Springfield over 100000 have been com
pleted. with ucw sword bayonets, but the
small caliber viii supersede them.
AlsrEIA's REPEATER.
Au-tra's new repeater the Mmnichcr,
fires accurately and rapidly. and can 5e
held al the shoulder until lis series OF
cartridges are delivered Its detachable
magazine is carried ia frame which las
an Ingenious apparatus Tor feeding tAe
cartridges into the barrel in It's freedom
from alteration OF aim between shots aud
rapidly u loading, IL resembles the Lee,
but the latter can be used as silgil
loader. wh9o the M4nulicher cannot
Austria Is also among the recent converts
to the small cahDer, which Will allow
more cartridges than the original Mann
licher The Syria mandatory has re-
cciSed orders 10 deliver no more Of the
large calibcr Iilcs.
Other well known systems are the
lIotchkss, Chaifee Rcece Winchester,
Colt and spencer Of American invention,
wi IA the Kropatschek, Netterli, Jarmann
and others in Europe. Switzerland was
the irst country 10 fully arm her troops
with repeaters, adopting the Netterli.
which is the heaviest Of all the magazine
guns, weighing ten pounds eight ounces,
or even six ounces more than the Mauser